San Sebastian Park

During the week it is nice to get out of the house in a good way (which means not shopping or trying to get something done). Going to the beach is hot and not really on a "favorite thing" list (unless for diving or access to the water for surfing or kayaking etc). I have started walking a couple days a week just to get some excess energy/frustrations out of my system and  I have a few places I rotate. I can go to the neighborhood drive-there-in-4-minutes basketball court with walking track, go 12 minutes or so to Moca Park (see blog post about that one), can go to the cushy walking track in full sun on the way to the San Sebastian pulgero, or I can go to this new one about 10 minutes away! I would love to go to the Guajataca Forest but don't think it is safe to go there alone.This newest park I found is behind the coliseum across from the San Sebastian supermarket (Econo I think). I was really surprised in a good way! My walking neighbors don't go to it and I have never seen cars go up there but I went to check it out.

I parked up by the tennis courts because there were a few cars there and I could see a worker doing some painting in a tower. I figured it was a safe place to park. I could hear tennis balls being swatted around and the courts were perfect - intact nets, good surface, covered chain link fence etc.  I parked and walked down to a cool suspension bridge and got to the trail. It isn't a substantial trail yet but you can see where they are working to make new trails. They will be extending them into the jungle hillside but right now there is a figure 8 of sorts and these weird semi covered platforms that look overly anchored. They also have weird stairs on them and at first I wasn't quite sure what was going on. I could see the trail going from place to place and lots of trees they have planted which will soon make a nice shady areas. There is an area of capa prietas, one of maria trees and some other trees I am not familiar with. It'll be very nice in a few years. I did a bunch of circling for 45 minutes or so. I didn't get bored since there is some incline (that's why I like Moca park too) and some shaded spots. Then it all came together for me...the tower, the platforms, the cables...this is a zip line park! I asked some workers and apparently it is open Saturday and Sunday for zip lining! It isn't like the Toro Negro zip lining place or any of the in-the-jungle ones but if you had kids it would be perfect and a blast!

Besides the walking trail and zip line platforms there are tennis courts, basketball courts and a pretty nice skate park. What a bee keeper and bee have to do with a skate park I do not know but a couple kids were biking and skateboarding in it. I liked the official "graffiti."

No day is complete though without something absurd - back in parking. Why do they insist on this? Ponce museum has a guard that will make you back in your car if you don't...work places insist on it and I will never understand why. No explanation makes sense. All in all it is a pretty nice park close to the house.